twisting front rail key pins

[Amy Zilk]

Yes, I rebushed all of them...eased the resulting sticking keys with key 
easing pliers, and put dry teflon on the pins.  I have an offset key 
spacer, but it didn't fit on the pins...it's new and it's got burrs in 
it that I need to sand and polish out.  Learning.
Amy

David Ilvedson wrote:
> Amy,
>
> Do you have Schaff catalog?   They are in there...you could make the 
> tool...
> Think the problem through.  
> How do I turn an oblong shaped pin?  () 
> If it was round, O, it would be harder to manipulate...
>
> Hopefully, you didn't rebush the keys with the front pins turned?
>  
> David Ilvedson, RPT
> Pacifica, California
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Original message
> From: "Amy Zilk"
> To: "Pianotech List"
> Received: 6/22/2006 9:04:41 AM
> Subject: Re: twisting front rail key pins
>
> How do you untwist them?  I just rebushed a set of keys and some of 
> the pins had been twisted.  I wasn't able to untwist any of them.  I 
> didn't have any tools that didn't slip.  Do you know of any tools that 
> work for this?  For that matter, what tool did you use to twist them? 
>
> Thanks in advance,
> az
>
>
>
>
> Porritt, David wrote:
>>
>> You're not missing anything.  That's the reason the front rail pins 
>> are oblong and now round.  Replacing the bushings is a better 
>> solution but in a pinch I've turned quite a few!
>>
>>  
>>
>> dp
>>
>>  
>>
>> David M. Porritt
>>
>> dporritt at smu.edu <mailto:dporritt at smu.edu>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> *From:* pianotech-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces at ptg.org] 
>> *On Behalf Of *Tom Sivak
>> *Sent:* Thursday, June 22, 2006 10:31 AM
>> *To:* pianotech
>> *Subject:* twisting front rail key pins
>>
>>  
>>
>> List
>>
>>  
>> I've always been told, "Don't twist the front key pins to eliminate 
>> side motion on keys that have the key bushings worn out."  And I've 
>> always accepted that.
>>
>>  
>>
>> Last week I was at a composer/friend's house.  He has a 1930s Kimball 
>> grand, really worn out.  I did a full regulation on the piano, and he 
>> didn't want to pay for new key bushings, so I twisted them, and the 
>> difference is wonderful.  No side play on the keys, feels like a 
>> million bucks.
>>
>>  
>>
>> Now I understand it would be unethical to do that to a piano and then 
>> sell it, hiding a problem, but what's wrong with improving the play 
>> of a piano by doing the same?  Sure, it may accelerate wear on the 
>> bushings, but the bushings are worn out now!  They need replacing 
>> already.  All this does is extend the deadline and make the piano 
>> play much better until D Day comes.
>>
>>  
>>
>> Am I missing something?  What's the down side to this?
>>
>> Tom Sivak
>>
>> Chicago
>>
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